


Comrades In Arms

by ArtemisWhite



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-16
Updated: 2015-09-29
Packaged: 2018-04-21 02:32:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4811600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtemisWhite/pseuds/ArtemisWhite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Mann Co. was seized by Gray Mann, the mercenaries seperated. They took their last paychecks and fled... until they were hunted down one by one. Assuming it was Mann, himself, they began to form a team. Gathering those that needed help, needed shelter, or whose skills would be useful; Artemis White hopes to lead the team to victory against the robots and the Mann.</p><p>But when things begin to change, and the robots become deadlier, new foes begin to surface. Creatures who used to be human. Those that used to be Mercenaries, now forever changed.Is it Mann to blame, or is there another, darker force afoot?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The snow pounded against their feet as they struggled to get away from the bots that pursued them. It seemed as though Grey Mann was not the enemy any longer, but instead, the very group of mercenaries that had been hired to gather the Australium and kill the mercenaries from Mann Co.’s old CEO, Saxton Hale.

 

Brutals and Pures alike all were caught in this seemingly smart attack, trying hard to fight against something that sucked their blood out of their systems in search of Australium. Some mercs, as far as they knew, had some. Others, like most, did not.

 

Artemis’ feet skid on some ice as he ran, causing his black clad arms to flail as he slid. But when he finally stopped, he could see them. Thousands of them.. 

The glasses shot in front of his gaze as soon as his gloved hands press on the button near his temple, using them to seek out a path of freedom. His gaze turned to the RED sniper, which held two SMGs in his grasp, panting from under his grey hat, black lines already forming.

“Try and keep it together, Fancy!” Artemis called out, his gaze turning to the oncoming group, “I’m going to need your virus state soon enough!”

 

“But we’re fucked!” Fancy spat out, “Fucked over not once, but twice! Maybe three times!”

 

“Yes, well..” Artemis paused, “I think we need to go under.”

“Under?”

“Yeah, Under the ice. There’s no water. Just a thick ice cavern. We don’t have much of a chance to survive, but hey! We’re goin somewhere, right?” Artemis grinned, “No rope, I’ve got my shiv, you’ve got your guns and knives, so..”

He noted the red eyes, staring at him, the blackness of the veins that sought him out so eagerly.

 

“You’re insane,” Fancy’s dark voice spoke, “And yet.. I think I like this idea.”

“Then care to shoot under us? They’re getting closer,” Artemis spoke, but his words were unheard as the man shot up the ice underneath, causing them both to plummet to god knows where.

 

It was then they hit the icy ground, and everything blacked out, causing the two to lay in the frozen tempetures, safe for a few moments.

 

 

Talon squirmed against his binds, kicking and screaming as the orderlies fought with him, trying to prepare the madman for his next bout of Electro-shock therapy. It was clear he was scared, wanting to stay in the soft, padded room that gave him a small bit of safety.

 

But even then, they managed to get him subdued enough to drag him to his appointment, causing the man to hyperventilate.

 

Boots stomped against the floor as a man made his way to the room, in which Talon was now being strapped down. 

“He’s all yours!” The orderly beamed at the dark shadow of a man, his mere glasses glinting in the light.

“Good,” The dark voice spoke, then ushered them out of the room, watching the door become sealed. He then peered over the struggling man and gave a smile, smug and evil, his bearded face and white jacket being all that was now seen.

“Altair?” Talon whispered, feeling the BLU gloves touch his trembling hands, sensing the comfort they held.

“Ja, calm down,” The medic responded, as Talon felt other hands tug at the binds that held him.

“Where’s Doctor McKormic?” 

“Well,” the man beamed, “He’s been permanently terminated!”

Talon recognized those words, and he chuckled, the first happy noise he’d made in a very long time. 

Red gloves touched his face, and his gaze turned to the familiar look of Sven, who seemed no longer afraid, but dark and vicious, eager to help the man who saved him from another bout of pain.

“You got him back, Altair..” Talon whispered, “Sven is back..”

“Jou seem surprised!” Sven spoke, “Jou zould not be.”

“But I am..”

Sven’s strong arms wrapped around the man, who flinched, but was happy to be somewhere remotely safe. He snuggled against the soft, familiar fabric. Taking in the smells of blood, Talon’s eyes closed.

“How long have Jou been awake, Herr Talon?” Sven asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Since I got ‘ere.. Unless they forced me..”

“Zhat’s been a year!” Altair exclaimed, “Get some rest, Ve vill take you to your new home..”

Talon nodded, then slowly fell into the sweet embrace of darkness, seeking the shelter it held.


	2. The first Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Artemis and Fancy have returned, things begin to go from bad to worse.

“We've got a problem,” Artemis spoke, head turning to Fancy, “Wanna explain?”

“Okay,” Fancy growled, “First, I'm going to BREAK. YOUR. LEGS!!”

Artemis yelped as Fancy charged toward him, while the others watched. Their 'Leader' was being chased by a far scarier man than even the classic heavy in Arty's team.

Fancy seemed to ignite on fire, ubering himself in the process, hands reaching out to catch the man. But Artemis seemed to be quicker, hoping up onto a ledge, startling Toba, and in the process manage to bolt from the room, Fancy hot on his tail.

Toba seemed to setle after a bit, as Ray rubbed his bald head, turning to look at B.T. 

“Seems they've had some mishaps,” The Engineer commented.

“I agree,” B.T. Spoke, teleporting bread.

“What are you doing?” 

“Teleporting Bread! For Wolfe!”

“WOLFE!!” The Engieer roared, and the medic ran in, adjusting his hat.

“Okay, by Altair, Sven, and I's calculations... Ve are in grave danger.. Zomezhing is not right vith zhese robots.”

Ray raised an eyebrow, forgoing the bread problems at the moment. Robots.. the ones they captured had been nothing more than the usual they'd fought. In fact, Ray was working on a way to take their tech and create his own army. 

“What's different about them?”Fabien spoke, walking forward to peer at Wolfe.

“Zhey.. zhey are not like zhe rest,” Wolfe spoke, “Zhey can respawn.. have uber devices, and..”

He lifted his gaze from the paper, “Zhe strange spikes? Zhey are meant for bleeding zomeone dry.. meaning, zhey are going to suck zhe blood out of someone.”

“So they have been upgraded?” Lance spoke, stepping into the room, soaking wet, “If we've captured them, then I dunno how tha's a problem, Mate.”

Pacing a bit, Wolfe thought about a decent reply. He wasn't sure what exactly they needed with the strange tubing, but perhaps he could figure it out? 

“They take Australium,” A dark voice spoke up, and their gaze turned to Christian Brutal Sniper.

“Australium?” Wolfe spoke, “Ja. Zhat makes sense.”

“Then it should have been your answer,” Brutal huffed, “Listen, Pure and I ran into 'em a while back. They tried ta' suck us dry. We escaped, and are now here. Today... but Spy..”

“Ah, so zhat ist vhy he is in zhe medbay!” Wolfe spoke, voice filled with excitement, “I vas vondering about vhy he vas so pale!!”

Lance nearly strangled Wolfe, holding back as he saw his ally glare. Instead, they kept their gaze on the medic, who seemed to pace more. He was muttering a bit to himself, trying to work out just how bad it was.

“If I may speak,” Artemis walked into the room, trying to hide his new burns, “They are dangerous. They're programed to kill us. Not just that, but there may be some of us who DO have Australium in our bodies. Which means.. they will target those that do. The rest of us?”

“They are going ta' kill us!” CBS laughed, “But I'm going to die takin' em down wit' me!”

“Exactly!” Artemis grinned, fist slamming into his palm, “That's exactly what I want to hear!”

Lance rolled his eyes. Artemis was far too eager to die. But the BLU sniper could tell the other was excited for some bloodshed. They all were. But rescues seemed to come first. Lance was bored of that.

“So, what're we going to do, Mate?” Lance spoke, “Rescue more and more mercs, who seem to be disappearing faster? Or fight?”

Artemis' face darkened, considering his options. They could continue or..

“I got a better idea,” Artemis grinned, turning to Wolfe, “How are your 'pets' when it comes to delivering messages?”

“I.. vould like to zay zhey are good!” Wolfe beamed, “But zhey grow vhen teleported!”

“Exactly!” Artemis chuckled, “They can go after those who we have not found yet! Except..”

“Zhe ones vho did zhis,” Wolfe responded, “Grey Mann und his hired help.”

“Yeah,” Artemis responded, “They can do that, yeah?”

“Ja!” Wolfe beamed, “I vill get zhem ready!”

Artemis turned to look at everyone, his eyes settling on Blitzkrieg, Blitz, CBS, and the other freaks. 

“I want you as leaders,” He spoke, eyeing them, “Special teams placed out to destroy their production facilities. We need something offensive and defensive.”

“I zee,” Blitzkrieg responded, “Und vhat kind of defensive?”

“You're freaks,” Artemis beamed, “I'm sure you know more freaks?”

“Ja.” Blitz responded, cracking his knuckles, “Und I made vone today. EXILE!”

There was darkness that seemed to swirl a bit, then a white haired man stepped through, face hidden behind a dread hood and scarf, grey uniform, and white – black eyes. He walked forward for a moment, then turned his gaze to Blitz, nodding his head at the man.

“Yeah?” The man's dark baritones resounded the room, “Ya called?”

“Ve need jou,” Blitz spoke, “Und I zhought you vanted to test jour full potential!”

Exile turned his gaze to the other freaks, some he'd heard of, others within passing. He merely nodded, then looked at Artemis.

“When do we start?” He asked, “I want some bloodshed.”

“Then, prepare yourself. Teams will be prepared, and I will get back by days end.” Artemis gave a dark chuckle, cracking his own knuckles.

____________________________________________________________________

Talon's eyes were closed, finally resting after giving both Lance and Spook a good run for their money. 

He was now dry, cloathed in pajamas and sleeping soundly. Spook, on the other hand, was watching over him. Worry had creassed his brow, mask removed, and his hood pulled down to watch his sleeping lover.

Talon seemed so.. skittish, which worried the man, but when he'd seen him suddenly yank them both in, freaking out over something neither could see, Lance and Spook realized how much fight was still left within the man.

It was something they needed, something important. 

So, Spook insisted taking Talon somewhere safe, calming. Where he could watch him, and promised he'd be back at any sign of danger. 

The beach house had been perfect, off the coast of Australia, hidden amongst some of the plants. A nice home Spook had bought for just he and Talon. For when they married, of course.

Something caught his gaze, a mettallic form, robotic in nature, but far different from what he'd seen before. 

He stood from his chair, then moved to the window. His eyes narrowed, seeing the strange robot. It was one of Mann's, Spook wagered, something the man had concoted up.

But the long mettallic tubing, the strange body and red eye... and it seemed to stare right at him.

He let out a cry as the tubes came through the window, reaching for him. His gaze turned to Talon, who shot up at the ruckus, arm reaching out for him.

The tenticles seemed to wrap around his body, and something sharp pierced his back, digging deep and sucking the very life force from him.

It wasn't long before he went slack, feeling far weaker than he should. So weak, powerless even. 

Talon's howl, the sound of horror and sorrow, as Spook's gaze turned to him. A faint smile on the spy's lips, and he spoke three words.

“I..Love..You..”

His eyes then clouded over, body drained of what he needed, and was left on the ground while Talon had been left to deal with his killer.

“NOOOO!!”


	3. The Darkness Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spook paid his life for Talon, protecting him to the end. But now Talon is going to repay the favor. Anger and insanity are not a good mix...

Everything happened so fast. 

Talon had been asleep, only to be woken by the sound of wood and glass breaking. This was followed by the death of Spook, and his own scream. That was so foreign. Spook had faked death once. Couldn't he do it now?

His eyes turned to the pale form, then to the red eyed bot trying to make it's way into the home. Wood, cement, metal.. it all seemed to cave in from the might of the robot.

Talon searched around for something, anything he could use against the might of one of Mann's bots. It always took a team, and Talon's chaotic mind wasn't helping matters.

His gaze landed onto a fire poker. That would do. That would do well. 

Grasping it, he ran forward, a battle cry escaping his lips. His barefeet stepped into the glass and metal, slicing the tender flesh, but he kept moving forward. 

Spook was gone. Spook was gone.

Those words repeated themselves in his aching skull, each cry getting louder. The hum and noise the bot made sent shivers along his spine.

His knees bent instintivly, arms raised with the poker as his sword, and he leaped into the air, slamming it downward. Such as a scout would do.

But Talon was no scout. And he was weaker than he used to be. It made a dent, but did not push through, sending the man into the tendrils of the robotic beast before him. 

A shriek escaped his lips, arms shoving the poker into the coils, finding a weak spot. He aimed, shoving it through the weaker coils until it sparked and broke. This sent him downward, onto the ground.

His poker landed in the ground beside him, and Talon made a reach for it. But the robot had other ideas, wrapping it's arms around the sniper. 

He squirmed, shrieking madly, his feet striking out. But once they were bound, he posed no real threat. Now to drain him of his blood...

Talon snapped his mouth down onto the robot's tendrals, only to whine in pain. The metal was... well, metal. But he still wanted free!

The pierce in his back, the feeling of suction.. it wasn't pleasant, and Talon suddenly gave a roar, twisting his body about. 

Cracks and snaps sounded, causing the sniper to shriek, but he managed free, broken body dropping to the ground.

His blood pooled around him as he lay, but he wasn't giving up. Not by a long shot. This thing had killed Spook! 

A roar, as his feet moved, scrambling upward with the help of his one good arm. He reached and grasped the bone jutting from his other, then yanked it free. It cracked as it was pulled; his arm left lifeless at his side, but it was a weapon. A weapon he was going to use.

Running forward, Talon took another leap; this one of faith. His body slammed down onto the bot's metallic body, and he ran, dodging the tendrals as they tried to stab him. Instead, they pierced the robot's own metal flesh; resounding with a clang!

As it started to depower, careening toward the ground, Talon turned and moved back to the bright red core, which glowed in it's single red eye.

Using the bone, he began smashing it into the glass, sending fragments flying. Some cut his skin, others landed on the ground. But it was good. Good in his mind.

Pain lanced through his body, but he smashed through, letting go of the bone and then reached in, grasping the core within his palm and gave a firm yank.

It pulled free, sparking as the robot crashed onto the ground. Talon rolled off, laying there; panting as he watched it spark and die. 

Looking at the core, he noted the strange yellow liquid. He then crawled over to the sparking bot, tugging at the metal, his eyes greeted upon the yellow and red mixture within. Melted Australium and blood. The things that made an Australian far more powerful. Far stronger. 

It was not Spook's, however, but it was quite the collection... and something Talon needed.

_______________________________________________

Ray gave a sharp yelp as the teleporter whirred on, the large casing of a robot appearing. 

His blue eyes peered from behind the goggles, rubbing his bald head. It was different from the rest, yet the tendrals were the same.

He grasped it, yanking the empty container to the ground as the machine whirred back to life. This time, Talon appeared, clutching Spook over his shoulder. 

“Dead,” Talon gasped out, dropping the spy's body to the ground, something else clutched tightly to his chest. 

“What's that, pardner?” Ray asked, moving over to peer at the glowing liquid contained in a jug. 

“Mine,” Talon grunted, “F-fix.. m' arm?”

Ray rubbed his temples. Australium, and Talon wanted him to rebuild his arm?

He mulled over it, then moved to take the jug, hefting it over his shoulder. Setting it down, he moved Talon over.

“I want ya t' go see Altair first. I will make you something to fix your arm, but for now, go see Altair.” Ray instructed, “I will also do a coffin for.. Andre.”

“Thank you,” Talon spoke, nuzzling Ray. 

He then moved forward, seeking out the German. He needed help, greatly so. He trusted Ray to do as he asked, but he was worried. What if more of those things contained the metal? Was this why the Australian's had been weak?

__________________________________________________

Ray began working hard on the coffin, producing one the spy would be proud of. 

It was intricute, gold and silver wrapped along the top and sides, telling a story about the man's life within Mann Co. It also showed the day he proposed to Talon, and an angel of the spy within the middle of the images.

He eyed them carefully, placing the man within the comfort of the silk interior, gently closing his eyes and cleaned his face. A mask was settled within, the man's favorite drink and cigarettes placed beside him. 

He'd need them in the hereafter. 

Ray then moved the coffin to the side, calling Lance. He needed help moving it to the proper spot, and perhaps Fancy could provide said spot. 

“G'day?” Lance spoke sleepily, and Ray heard him yawn.

“Sorry to wake you, Lance,” Ray spoke, “But I've got a bit of a problem. Andre passed on, I've built a coffin, and... er.. I need ya ta take him to th'.. y'know.. graveyard.”

“Graveyard?” Lance repeated, sounding far angrier than he had, “What do you mean, Ray?”

“There is that area where he proposed, y'know? The trees and everythin'!”

“Fine.” Lance grunted, “I'll be there in a moment. Want me to tell everyone?”

“Yeah,” Ray spoke, “Tha'd be nice, Pardner.”

The Engie then hung up, looking at the large jug of australium. He considered his options, then set to work. The grave digging would need time, as would everyone preparing for the funeral. So, he had some time to give.

Sparks flew upward as Lance stepped into the room, followed by Cameron, Fancy, Artemis, and Bastian. Each eyed the case, heads bowed in silence while Roy worked.

“What'cha makin?” Cameron asked, his muscular arms crossing his chest.

“An Australium arm for Talon,” Ray responded, “No enough ta'.. well.. do much, though. The rest can help all of us.”

Lance peered over his shoulder, noticing he Australium and Titanium arm being built. He silently wondered why the man would need it, but he wagered that there was indeed a reason behind this.

Ray then notified Altair, who sent Talon back.

“All he wanted was fer me ta' sit an play with the cats!!” Talon complained, entering.

“Course he did, Pardner!” Ray laughed, “What else did he do?”

“CUT OFF MY ARM!” Talon howled, holding up his right stump, “It's gone...”

“Not entirely,” Ray smiled, moving over to the taller man. He then removed the bandages, setting to work.

The arm, once attached, worked like a normal one should. In fact, Ray was glad to see the beaming smile on the insane man's face. Such joy was not common within the war. Be it with men, or with robots, joy was rare. Unless you were a soldier.

Or Pyro, for that matter.

“Let's go,” Ray spoke, patting Talon's shoulder. 

The sniper followed, grasping the handle of the coffin. His gaze turned to Lance, who gave him a sorrowful nod. 

Then, the drums sounded around the base, everyone moving toward the more japanese area of Cloudy Moon Resort. 

Each step they took was filled with silence. Each word was spoken without a voice. Mercs nodded their heads, bowing them as the coffin passed, while men and woman all waited.

Setting the coffin onto it's bridge, everyone looked at Talon.

“Want to say a few words?” Lance asked, voice an odd gentle tone.

“Yeah,” Talon spoke, moving to place his hand on the coffin.

“You.. you were my sunshine. My light in th' dark. You kept me sane.. when there was no sanity to be found. My life was made whole when you were around, and.. I.. I thought.. well, I wagered.. we'd be together forever.

We kinda are, I guess. I can still hear ya.. guess... Guess I always will. We.. we are.. well..together. I miss you. I miss you so so much.

If.. If I learned one thing, it's that.. sometimes.. sometimes things happen. Sometimes things go wrong.. but.. you're here. You always will be. Right?”

He took a shaking breath, eyes filling with tears. 

“You flew away tonight,” He said, “And... I jus'.. want ya ta' know.. I love you, ya bleedin wanka! I always will.. and we.. we were married a long time ago.. when we.. we first...”

He choked on his words, pressing a hand on his mouth as he tried to stifle the noises. An arm wrapped around Talon's shoulders, pulling him away from Spook's grave and into the man's chest.

There, Talon gripped the soft fabric of the medic. Sven stroked Talon's long hair, shushing him as they began to bury a fallen mercenary. 

Talon's breath picked up a bit, his eyes shutting. He could see Spook, but he knew the man wasn't there. Perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him. Form some comfort from the loss.

But, it was not Spook, it was Cyrus, whom patted Talon's shoulder. It was a bit of comfort that the spy could offer, before he followed the crowd. 

Lance stepped over to Talon and gave a gentle pat, following Cyrus. It went on like this as Sven tried to sooth the man's emotions. Just as he had been doing for Flynn these past weeks.

Once the sniper quieted down, Sven picked the male up and carried him to the medbay. There, he could keep an eye on the other.

___________________________________________

“Figure anything out, Ray?” An Engie spoke, and the Texan turned his head to the rather muscular Japanese Engineer.

“A bit,” Ray responded, “Drake, what do you know about robotics?”

“Nothing much,” Drake responded, brushing his hair to the side, “I'm not sure of how I can be of help.”

“Maybe you could take a look at these.. arms. Perhaps the mechanics can help us with something?”

“Sure,” Drake answered, moving over to look at the mechanics. 

Ray paused, wiping his brow and removed a sandwich from his toolbox. Taking a bite out of it, he mulled over the glowing Australium still trapped within it's hold.

It created powerful strength, long life, and even deadly weapons. But, of course, it was more so used for the life giving. 

“Teams have been created,” announced Artemis as he strode forward, handing off the list of teams. 

Ray glanced down at the paper. There were the leaders, followed by who was going to be within them.

“Damn,” Blitz swore, leaning against a wall, “I got fuckin' CBS.”

“Be glad!” Drake responded, “I've got Blitzkrieg!”

“I've got Lance,” Ray mused, “Speaking of, how is he holding up?”

“No one really knows what's on that man's mind,” Glitch responded, appearing before them. 

“I suppose,” Ray chuckled, “He's got Talon on his team too..”

“Then, I see it's a trial of patience.”

“Yeah!” Ray laughed.

___________________________________________________________________

Lance gave a heavy sigh, looking over his list. Cyrus was not on it, in fact... he had Christian Pure Spy. There was Roy, Cameron, and Rush. These weren't bad. Altair was on there as well, something Lance was thankful of. 

But as his eyes traveled down, noting B.T. They stopped as he noticed the one man who would more than likely be a hinderance. Especially now.

Talon White...

What was wrong with Artemis?! It was bad enough that they never got along, but now to put him into battle after he'd lost someone so dear?! The man had to be out of his mind!!

Crumpling the paper up, Lance grabbed his vest and pulled it on, rubbing his sore head. Already, small nubs were forming, which he wagered were from bumping his head. 

Either way, it ached. He also had to see if Talon even WANTED to join. If he didn't, then there was no stopping him.

He moved toward the door and paused, glancing out the window. A storm was coming and the wind blew the scent of death with it.

People were going to die. They were going to die, and no one could stop it.

With that heavy thought in his mind, he shut the door to the scent and made his way toward the medbay, where he would have a heart to heart talk with the other sniper. 

And pray that things did not go south during the coming battles.


End file.
